[mnau]

No point unless coupled with ability to immigrate. Why would China educate foreigners only to see them leave? There is no payoff.

It makes sense in US because of for-profit universities and easier immigration. That is not situation over there.

[seanmcdirmid]

The US doesn't really have many for-profit universities, and those that are for-profit don't attract a lot of international PhD students. We do (or did?) have a lot of research to be done, and we would never be able to do it without international PhD students (including from China and India).

China has some immigration, and people will be attracted to stay if the research jobs are good and accessible. If China takes over the USA's role of the preeminent world power, they will have access to and need to leverage world talent to do so.